STEALTH FLAVOR The GM should always be involved in flavoring Characters with the stealth flavor are good at a type. You are involved in the first adventure. You gain the following characteristics: 4. Might 10 Special Abilities: Choose four of the abilities Speed 9 listed below. On the other hand, if along headfirst through life and let other people from your Intellect Pool, it costs you 1 more you play such a character worry about things. Another PC recruited you while you were on your best behavior, before realizing how chaotic you were. This character will be11 Obstacle Running (167) a hardy soul who explores alien worlds. 2. You had a piece of information that the Maybe you have a notebook where you write (probably earning them other PCs needed to make their plans. 1. )difficulty by one step (or just easing the difficulty, 7TASK DIFFICULTY Target No. The flavors available are stealth, technology, magic, combat, and skills and knowledge. This is called the Game, page 206 This chapter provides a brief explanation of how easing the difficulty by two steps. Since you give them so much business, they offer you discounts and special treatment.20 You belong to a secretive social club that gathers monthly to drink and talk.FIRST-TIER ADEPT otherwise. 11 Your older sibling is an infamous character who has been disgraced. Know What to Do: You can act immediately, 1. Additional Equipment: Youve managed to CLUMSYtalk your way into some decent discounts andbonuses in recent weeks. not they achieve that goal.Party: A group of player characters (and perhaps some Campaign: A series of sessions strung together with anNPC allies). Skill: Youre trained in all tasks involving balance and careful movement. Does A character can move a short distance as their weapon. It doesnt matter if the cultist is 20 facts, wondrous secrets, powerful artifacts,feet (6 m) or 40 feet (12 m) awayits simply answers to mysteries, or solutions to problemsconsidered short distance. If Initial Link to the Starting Adventure: From theyou have Armor, it does not provide a benefit following list of options, choose how you becamewhen you use this ability. someone in his company who was once a friend but went rogue. need the money. You can also create your own fact. something can do is to use it. One of the other PCs approached you to step into dark passages, and to find danger. The flexibility of the system frees the GM to build the adventures they imagine with a focus on creativity over work, and the GM intrusion mechanic enables great plot twists that the players welcome rather than shy away from. player intrusion just happens. Advancing to Skills: You become trained in one skill of yourhigher tiers is not really the goal of Cypher System choice, other than attacks or defense. The character is third tier damage you inflict with an attack. The total cost for their action is 2 points let you wear heavy armor, reduce the difficulty for players. This has the dual benefit of increasing the players narrative engagement and keeping the mechanical work of running the game off the GMs plate. Stealing Stories for the Devil is a zero-prep (really!) A Warrior flavored with skills and knowledgemight be a military engineer. as history or geology. subtle movements that convey an individuals Skill: You are trained in intimidation. 15When applying Effort to Every character has an Effort score, which MULTIPLE USES OF EFFORT AND EDGE melee attacks, you have indicates the maximum number of levels of Effort that can be applied to a roll. But if you just want to try it outor teach it to new playersthe Cypher System Starter Set is a fun and inexpensive . 11 Ward (196) might be completely invisible, visible only Weapons: You can use light weapons without when you are attacked,penalty. Character: Anything that can act in the game. Skill: Youre trained in all tasks involving 2. Cypher RPG System PDF Abilities Parser. In Mind can be healed 11 Practiced in Armor (171) addition, you can replace one of your lower-tier by advanced magic or 11 Skill With Defense (183) abilities with a different one from a lower tier. by the character type, When your character is injured, sickened, descriptor, and focusor attacked, you temporarily lose points from A character who has a low Might Pool but a that you choose. You, the GM, will need to read through it once youve chosen a genre and TAILORING THE RULES Chapter 25: Running the pick types, foci, and so forth. Some need new rules to convey thesome now and save others for your next game. Youll use parts of it to (but probably not all) of the kinds of games youbuild the game you want to play. Choose from one of four types Speaker Example, page 32concept: Effort. If you want to capture Think of this book as a chest of toys. You cant choose the same ability more than once unless its description says Intellect 9 otherwise. Initial Link to the Starting Adventure: From the following list of options, choose how you became You were likely instilled with this sense of involved in the first adventure. Special rules and advice for nine specific genres, including fantasy, modern, science-fiction, horror, superheroes, and post-apocalyptic. If you can rate a task between 1 and 10, you can run the Cypher Systemeven if your adventure goes in a completely unexpected direction, or youve had no time to prep. have a knack for reading a persons tells, those Skill: You are trained in stealth. Skill: Youre trained in all tasks involving social Skill: Always on the lookout for danger, you are interaction, pleasant or otherwise. If the GM wishes, they can use GM you have hired one of the other PCs as your might not be appropriate intrusions based on your clumsiness normally protector. Its why youre people call you bold and brave, but those youvehere. Because you easily see things for what they are, you get the lay of the land sw . Not all of a descriptors offerings are help you, and want to be your friend. For a small fee, of course. The NSA is responsible for global monitoring, collection, and processing of information and data for foreign and domestic intelligence and counterintelligence . Using these abilities usually costs points from your stat Pools; the cost is listed in parentheses after the ability name. Flavor, page 34 So, really, what youre choosing here is the for your PCs, even though its fine in other Chapter 5: Type, page 20 experience you want to haveand that you want fantasy games. You were in the right place at the right time. If the player has no XP toimportant. You cant choose the same ability least one free hand unlessmore than once unless its description says the GM says otherwise. Individual Role: Speakers are smart and charismatic. 20 Your father is a high-ranking officer in the military with many connections. Initial Link to the Starting Adventure: From thefollowing list of options, choose how you becameinvolved in the first adventure. These 2. However, theyre alsolikely to stop and investigate anything intriguingthey stumble upon. A descriptive sentence provides not just an easily-understood overview of the character, but also the mechanical basis for skills, abilities, and stats. Resilient increases her Might Pool player can choose to take drawbacks or penaltiesto 10 and her Intellect Pool to 16. After all, the best way to learn what wonder if it was out of pity. When a cautious 4. Youre a good ally to have in a fight. Descriptors also offer a few brief suggestions Initial Link to the Starting Adventure: From the for how your character got involved with the rest following list of options, choose how you became of the group on their first adventure. 4. There is reward involved, and you need the money.46DescriptorGUARDED You gain the following characteristics: Damage track, page 218 Mighty: +4 to your Might Pool.You conceal your true nature behind a mask and Fast Healer: You halve the time it takes toare loath to let anyone see who you really are. abilities that let them use light, medium, and/ or heavy weapons without a penalty. as the skill benefit necessary to advance to the Even though character type is in the middle next tier. He decides that the character gives Ray an extra medium or heavy weapon. Although players may wish to use flavors you cannot choose the if a player wants to create a magic-using thief to get the characters they want, remember that same ability twice, even character, she could play an Adept with stealth they can also shape their PCs with descriptors if you get it from both flavoring. distinct settings are usually the most fun, the most memorable, and the most likely to engage Bears a Halo of Of course, not everything in this book is your players. For [fill in a noun here] who [fill in a verb here]. Descriptor, page 38 example, if your character can make an Intellect Type, page 20 roll to blast an enemy with mental force, you Thus: I am an adjective noun who verbs. For can become trained in using that ability, easing example, you might say, I am a Rugged Warrior Focus, page 60 the task of using it. 4. activity relating to a task, such as climbing, Asset, page 209Whenever a roll of any kind is called for and no geography, or persuasiveness. them with the task at hand. One of the other PCs convinced you that joining the group would be in your best interests. You probably Skill: Youre trained in defense rolls to resist makes for capable andpay attention to your appearance, keeping mental effects. Choose a descriptor in chapter 7. Its priests and worshippers, although small in number, respect and admire your talents and potential. An Explorer with technology flavor Of course, you can might be a starship pilot, and a Speaker flavored flavor a character inSECOND-TIER STEALTH ABILITIES with technology could be a techno-priest. They remain indebted to you. You are physically repugnant by almost any thing, and thats fine. You heard what the other PCs were up to distinction between what is and isnt honorable and suddenly decided to join them. Your descriptor places your character in the situation (the first adventure, which starts the campaign) and helps provide motivation. encounter. Players have that one character idea that information, and so on, will hopefully make your would be their best character ever, if they could games more fun and your stories richer. (If he had chosen Physical Skills, page 170WARRIOR EXAMPLE jumping as one of his physical skills, the Strong descriptor would have made him specialized inRay wants to create a Warrior character for a jumping instead of trained.) It doesnt matter. People like you, want to Pools. As a first-tier character, her Magic Training, page 159 11 Energy Protection (134) Effort is 1. Free! A socialized, you took the time growing up to them. a minor effect could mean that you perform the choice; a Cypher System action with particular grace. Begin your adventure! One of the other PCs bullied you into But others dont mind or hand-to-eye coordination is hindered. 12 You served as a guard for someone who traveled extensively. 3. A bow has long range. The shock rent your family, and its something youve never gotten over. Your body is perfectly suited to dance, and you use that advantage in combat to dodge blows. 19 Your sister owns a store and gives you a hefty discount. abilities that grant skills,11 Mastery in Armor (161) which can usually be11 Mastery With Attacks (161) Speed defense: Used for dodging attacks taken multiple times.11 Mastery With Defense (161) and escaping danger. the people closest to you. 8 You went to a prestigious university on an athletic scholarship, but you excelled in class as well as on the field. In addition, you can replace repertoire. Just as the characters in movies, novels, and TV shows grow through their own subplots, Cypher System players may choose arcs to pursue, tying their characters personalities more closely to the overall story and engaging the players even deeper into their characters and the campaign. Examples include walking across always does 4 points of damage. They told you not to ask too many questions, and that seemed fine to you. We say experience because in many ways, thats what a genre is. Lauded for its elegance, ease of use, flexibility, and narrative focus, the Cypher System unleashes the creativity of GMs and players with intuitive character creation, fast-paced gameplay, and a uniquely GM-friendly design. among your stat Pools. Many actions have a the weapon or attack used. The Cypher Scheme is about to become your new darling TTRPG. them into what you need and want. 14 You and a friend both smoke the same kind of rare, expensive tobacco. . While skulking about, you overheard the PCs plans and realized that you wanted in. Skills: You are trained in four nonphysical skills 1. This includes any kind of creature as a goal put forth by the PCs and at the end by whether orwell as people. Combat and action are not a Speakers strong suits, so other characters sometimes have to defend the Speaker in times of danger. It Youre attractive to others, but perhaps more page 59 is the adjective of the sentence I am an adjective important, you are likeable and charismatic. When you roll a natural 20 (the d20 shows 20) and the roll is a success, you also haveHeavy weapons inflict 6 points of damage, a major effect. wisdom. 16 Youre part owner of a local bar, where youre something of a whiz in creating specialty cocktails. For information about when or how you perform theexample, lets say an Adept with an Intellect Edge action. A Immediate distance from a character is within thrown knife (and most other thrown weapons) reach or within a few steps. attack that inflicts damage, whether a sword, a They can choose to apply one, two, or three crossbow, a mind blast, or something else. As a For his focus, Ray chooses Masters Weaponry.first-tier character, his Effort is 1, his Might Edge This gives him yet another weapon of highis 1, and his Speed Edge and Intellect Edge are quality. They regard you well, but they have many enemies. involved in the first adventure. You INTUITIVEare trained in any task involving geography orhistory. You gain the following characteristics: 1. For example, when game doesnt have toMedium weapons inflict 4 points of damage. feet. These abilities in their particular gamepoints from their Edge). honor by a parent or a mentor. Might intelligence, wisdom, charisma, education, isnt relative to size; instead, its an absolute reasoning, wit, willpower, and charm. An Adept flavored with combat in a science fiction setting could be a veteran of a thousand psychic wars. descriptions for flavor and focus abilities in a single vast catalog.WARRIOR PLAYER INTRUSIONS 11 Bash (112) 11 Combat Prowess (120)You can spend 1 XP to use one of the following 11 Control the Field (121)player intrusions, provided the situation is 11 Improved Edge (151)appropriate and the GM agrees. Cypher System is the umpbrella name for the RPG system used in Numenera and The Strange, created by Monte Cook Games (Market). She decides to be somewhat her role in the world and Choose two of the abilities listed below (or well rounded, so she puts 2 of her additional expectations in the game. the room and opening a door, using a special ability to negate gravity so you can fly, using an Your Armor characteristic reduces the damage ability to protect your friend from radiation, or you take from attacks directed at you. Weve learned a lot since then, though. down, stare at your screen and, by indomitable force of will, produce something from nothing. 1. Who knows? If a creature attacks a character, to carve a hole in a wall, you make a d20 roll. Light weapons are punches, if youd prefer a special result, you could decide will be an important partkicks, clubs, knives, handaxes, rapiers, small instead that you knock the foe back, distract of the Cypher System.pistols, and so on. true face. This will ease his Speed defense rolls if he has both He wants to use a large combat knife (a knives out (the shield counts as an asset). Someone called you out, but instead of Inability: While you are alone, all Intellect and walking into a fight, you walked into your currentSpeed tasks are hindered. For me getting the 2nd edition was a no brainer as Cypher System is joint favourite with Fantaji (an excellent universal rpg by Anphropos Games Publishing). Efforta stat Pool, your Edge for that stat reduces the eases the task by one step. Then tell your players Cypher System, page 402 what material youve chosen to be available so Sometimes you have to alter things to make they can create characters that fit the genre. Heres how it works: 2015 Monte Cook Games, LLC - Site by Bee Zen Web Design, Go to your local game store and ask to place a paid pre-order for the. others can manipulate and charm people, and Remember that characters are defined as much you notice when those tactics are used on you. has a skill is better at completing related tasks Effort, page 15 than a character who lacks the skill. set of rules that empowers them. Your former comrades dont understand you, but they respect you. the players to have. 10 You used to be a teacher. Any one of these weaponare eased. You can use involved in the first adventure. 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